Reunion
by FleurHartz
Summary: Five years have passed since Hogwarts, but their story's far from finished. After a painful breakup at graduation, Ron and Hermione must confront their past and work by Harry's side once again as a new, terrifying evil makes them question everything.
1. ChChChChanges

A/N- Hello everyone! A new Harry Potter series for me, set five years after  
  
graduation. The gang's all here, but they're quite different. Check it out and  
  
leave me a review--it's finally summer so I actually have time to   
  
work on this fic! Yay! Review and I'll update!   
  
Disclaimer- Oh, if only Harry Potter and his gang belonged to me. But they don't.  
  
They belong to the brilliant J.K. And the lyrics at the end belong to Amy Lee and  
  
Seether's song "Broken."   
  
REUNION  
  
Ch. 1  
  
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes  
  
Rain pounded down on the slick city streets. Draco Malfoy stalked through the streets back to his hotel room. He could've just apparated, but it had a been a horrible Quidditch game, and he needed to cool off. Thus, the brooding in the rain.  
  
He finally reached the five-star hotel, walking through the revolving door and ignoring the looks of dissent from employees as he dripped all over their floor.  
  
"Dissato." He said absently withdrawing his wand, his body drying immediately.  
  
His teammate, a tall, burly Beater named Eric Langly, came out of the elevator at that moment.  
  
He smiled when seeing Draco, slapping him on the shoulder as they fell in step together. Draco tried to be manly and not wince.  
  
"Harry just sent me down to look for you."  
  
"Well, no worries. I didn't kill myself."  
  
"Although after that game, who could blame you?"  
  
"No joke." Draco nodded in consensus.  
  
"Oh well- we play France tomorrow. It'll be better. Take them down a peg or two. Have you been reading the interviews with them? They think this game's all bloody wrapped up with a bow for them."  
  
"Bloody French." Draco said under his breath as they got back on the elevator.  
  
"You know who they say's coming to the game tomorrow?" Eric looked at him with raised eyebrows.  
  
"The Pope." Draco said sarcastically.  
  
"No. Hermione Granger."  
  
"Granger? Who the hell cares if that ugly Mudblood comes?" Draco rolled his eyes, masking surprise. He hadn't heard her name in five years.  
  
"Don't you know? She's running for Minister of Magic in France."  
  
"No kidding? Shows how far downhill the Ministry's gone since my father died." Draco laughed bitterly.  
  
"How do you know her?"  
  
"Went to school with her."  
  
"Really? Well, she's not so ugly now, judging from those campaign posters plastered all over town."  
  
"She never was one for doing things halfway." Draco said, bored with the subject of Hermione already.  
  
"Well, anyway, Harry's all beside himself with excitement. Says she's a really good friend he's lost touch with due to all this whirlwind Quidditch traveling." Eric shrugged, walking off the elevator, Draco behind him.  
  
Draco snorted derisively.  
  
"Well, if Weasel comes, it'll be a bloody reunion."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Never mind."  
  
Draco came into his blissfully peaceful and dark hotel room, peeling off his sticky wet clothes and wrapping a towel around his waist to go take a shower. Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a soaking wet Ginny Weasley.  
  
"Hey." She said nonchalantly.  
  
"Gin. What are you doing here?"  
  
"We lowly Quidditch reporters are, without exception, put in the worst hotels in town. I stole your spare key earlier at lunch, and figured I'd just pay you a visit." She said, coming in, sitting on the bed and clicking on the TV.  
  
Draco stared at her for a second.  
  
"Oh, don't mind me. Strip away."  
  
"I was just going to take a shower."  
  
"Well, darn, I was expecting a dance." Ginny smiled.  
  
Draco shook his head, grinning, walking into the bathroom and leaving the door open so they could still talk.  
  
"So, you guys sucked today." Ginny called, clicking through channels.  
  
"Well, thank you as always, for breaking your opinion to me so gently." Draco called back.  
  
"You better step it up tomorrow, or France is just going to gloat some more. And interviewing them after victories has proved them to be even more annoying than they usually are in general."  
  
"I know. Eric was telling me about all the crap they've been telling the papers. Hey, you know what else he told me?" Draco said, laughing slightly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Hermione Granger's running for the Minister of Magic in France. She's coming to game tomorrow—probably for good PR or something."  
  
"Yeah, I heard. Well, come on, we all knew she'd eventually take over the world." Ginny shrugged.  
  
"You were friends with her, right?"  
  
"Yeah, in the "you're-dating-my-brother" kind of way."  
  
"Let me guess- she married Weasel and they have sickening amounts of children, and he'll soon be the First Lady of France."  
  
Ginny sighed.  
  
"Hardly. Things did not end so well in the tragic tale of Hermione and Ron."   
  
"Okay, I'll pretend to care. Tell the story." Draco got out of the shower, toweling off his hair and walking back in the room.  
  
"Oh, but your beautiful form is too distracting. Please put something on before I pass out from lust." Ginny said sarcastically.  
  
"Fine." Draco pulled on a pair of boxer shorts and a white T-shirt, sitting in the chair opposite her.  
  
"Well, it's kind of a long, involved and quite angsty story." Ginny sighed.  
  
"Cliffnotes version."  
  
"In their seventh year, Hermione got recruited to this really prestigious program in France, and of course she was all excited, but Ron already had a job in Britain with Dad, blah blah blah, 'Why can't you just be happy for me?' 'How could you choose your career over me?'….you get the picture. They broke up, and as far as Ron's told Harry, they haven't spoken since."  
  
She finished, looking over at Draco. He was feigning sleep.  
  
"Draco, come on. You said you wanted to hear the story."  
  
Draco grinned, opening his eyes.  
  
"I'm kidding. Very good story, Gin. Compelling, and I especially liked the uncanny impressions of them."  
  
"Well, thank you. In my opinion, she broke my brother's heart and therefore I am familiarly obliged to be pissed at her. So, tomorrow should be interesting."  
  
"Yes, it should."  
  
"And also- Ron's coming to watch Harry play and catch up and all that. He has no idea she'll be there."  
  
"You didn't tell him?"  
  
Ginny shook her head, grinning wickedly.  
  
"You little vixen." Draco smiled back.  
  
"Well, put those two anywhere near each other, they either start yelling or snogging each other senseless. Often both in the span of a conversation. Which you know, is always interesting."  
  
Draco wrinkled his nose.  
  
"I don't really want to think about them snogging."  
  
"Sorry. How about you just snog ME senseless instead?"  
  
"I like that game much better." Draco smiled, getting out of his chair.  
  
He kissed her, and deliciously slow kiss. Ginny's hands tangled in his always soft platinum blond hair as the kiss deepened, biting his lower lip.  
  
"Hey, no biting." He said, against her mouth.  
  
"Oh, just take it, you girl." She grinned back, kissing him again.  
  
After awhile longer of this, Draco's hands began to work at her maddeningly sexy business jacket.  
  
She pulled away, grinning.  
  
"I'm kind of tired."  
  
"Okay, it should be illegal to do that to a man." Draco sighed.  
  
"Hey, we're friends with benefits, darling. But not THAT many benefits." She smiled, standing up and grabbing one of his shirts from the drawer.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I'm going to take a shower. I'm still all gross from trudging here in the rain."  
  
"Care for some company?"  
  
"Not particularly. Entertain yourself for a couple of minutes. And please, resist the temptation to turn that into a double entendre."  
  
Draco sighed, falling back on the 500-thread count pillows.  
  
"What a tease." He sighed under his breath, smiling slightly all the same.  
  
Harry stood before the French Quidditch pitch, cracking his knuckles. It was a cold, dreary morning, and he felt really stiff. He must've slept strange. Not good. They had to hand the French their arses for the Brits to maintain any shred of dignity.  
  
"Lovely morning." Draco grinned, suddenly next to him.  
  
"Yeah, bloody fantastic." Harry sighed as a slight mist fell around them.  
  
"So Eric told me Hermione's coming today."  
  
"That'll be so strange seeing her."  
  
"You two were friends for a long time." Draco commented.  
  
"Yeah. But you never know- I mean, we've all changed a lot since Hogwarts. I'm sure she has too."  
  
Draco conceded with a nod. Harry looked over at him, grinning slightly.  
  
"Did Gin tell you Ron's coming?"  
  
"She mentioned it. I would pay to see the look on Weasel's face when he sees his ex has turned into some political ballbuster. They really haven't talked at all? In five years?"  
  
"No. Not one letter."  
  
"Weird. As I recall, they were inseparable to the point of being sickening while we were at school."  
  
"I know." Harry said a little sadly.  
  
"Get over it, Harry. I'm sure Ron's got some new girl with equal inadequacies to have mass amounts of children with by now."  
  
"He doesn't. We've kept up." Harry said.  
  
Draco just shrugged, tired of talking about them.  
  
"We should go to the locker room. I'm sure, as our Captain, you have a rousing speech prepared." Draco said, abruptly changing the subject.  
  
"I thought I'd just stammer incoherently." Harry grinned.  
  
"Wouldn't want to break with tradition." Draco rolled his eyes, and they headed to the locker room.  
  
Hermione ran a hand through her perfectly straightened hair, looking out at the dreary weather.  
  
"Damn it. This will make all my photo ops just lovely." She rolled her eyes, looking over at campaign manager, an impeccably dressed Frenchman named Michel.  
  
"It will be the windblown look." He grinned.  
  
"Well, we might as well get out there. Maybe we can get some pictures with the team before the game starts." She said, still messing with her hair.  
  
"What's wrong, Hermione? You seem nervous."  
  
"Oh—oh, nothing. Just…an old friend of mine plays for Britain. We haven't spoken in years."  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"I'm sure you've heard of him. Harry Potter? Practically saved the entire wizardring world five years ago? Then disappeared into the blissful and paradoxical anonymity of Quidditch fame—all he gets asked about now is his brilliant Snitch save." She smiled.  
  
"The name doesn't ring a bell." Michel said sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, shut up. Let's go—maybe I can say hello."   
  
"That won't look too good for your campaign. Fraternizing with the enemy." Michel pointed out.  
  
"I'll take the risk. No one's in the stands this early. It'll be our little secret." She said, exiting the limo into the damp morning air.  
  
"Let's show the French that we're the kind of team all of you know we can be! They've been talking smack all week, but I say—we let our actions speak and shut them up for good." Harry spoke to his team, met with rousing cheers.  
  
A clapping broke through the cheers.  
  
"Bloody brilliant speech, mate." Harry heard a familiar voice.  
  
Ron stood there in the door, smiling at his best friend.  
  
"Ron! Great to see you!" Harry broke away from the team as they all strapped on their gloves and padding.  
  
"It's been too long." Ron caught Harry in the manly two-pat hug, grinning widely.  
  
"No kidding. Thanks so much for coming all this way."  
  
"Cheer you on to victory against those bloody arrogant no-talent blokes? I wouldn't miss it." Ron grinned.  
  
"How's Ministry work treating you?" Harry asked, going to strap on his gloves and padding as well, Ron following.  
  
"Can't complain." Ron shrugged.  
  
"Well, I can't wait to hear everything after the game. But we better go warm up."  
  
"Sounds great. Have you seen Gin around? Mum wants a full update on her 'new, exciting career'."   
  
"Oh, I'm sure she's around here somewhere."  
  
"Not bugging you too much, is she?" Ron asked.  
  
"Oh, no. She's great—always makes us look really good in her broadcasts."  
  
"All right, I better go find her and get a seat."  
  
"See you after."  
  
Ron nodded, smiling and turning to go, but running smack into someone.  
  
"Oh, sor-" He stopped dead, unable to speak from shock.  
  
Harry looked over nd saw Hermione, looking if possible, even smarter and prettier in a blue pinstripe business jacket and blue skirt  
  
"Ron. Wasn't aware you'd be here." She said, her voice emotionless, but her hands shaking slightly.  
  
"Likewise." Ron looked at her, feeling such a miasma of emotions that he couldn't quite pinpoint one.  
  
"Hey, Hermione." Harry broke the awkward silence.  
  
"Harry! It's been ages!" Hermione pushed past Ron, hugging Harry tightly.  
  
"Thanks for coming. Congratulations on your nomination." He said, releasing her as Ron still looked on in shock.  
  
"Nomination?" Ron looked even more confused.  
  
"Yes. For Minister of Magic in France," she turned to him.  
  
"Oh, well, you must feel so lucky. Finally getting everything you always wanted." Ron said harshly, the tension palpable between them.  
  
"Thank you. I do." Hermione said, her voice equally cold.   
  
"All right, all right, let's break up this little lovefest. We've got a game to play." Draco pushed between them, grabbing Harry's arm and dragging him away from his two friends as the rest of the team followed.  
  
Ron and Hermione were left alone in the locker room.  
  
"Don't you need to go? I'm sure you've got lots of important people to meet and a very busy day of pretending to care if France wins the game so you can secure more votes." Ron said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Ron. Please, enlighten me with what you've done with your life that makes you so damn superior." Hermione crossed her arms.  
  
"Well, not selling out would be the first thing I've done. Not abandoning all my friends would be the second. Not turning into some ice queen bitch with no one left who actually cares about her would be the third."  
  
"You're breaking my heart, really."  
  
Ron looked at her in disbelief.  
  
"I tried to tell you this would happen." He said quietly.  
  
"What? That I'd grow up? Feel free to join the rest of us in adult world when you get rid of your juvenile delusions of a happy ending."  
  
He didn't answer her. A long, weighted silence fell.   
  
"I don't have time for this." Hermione rolled her eyes, turning to leave.  
  
"I just hope it was worth it." Ron said softly, but she heard him.  
  
She stopped; her back to him.  
  
"If you trying to get an apology for not wanting to be your little wife who stays at home while you make a few dollars at a thankless Ministry job-"  
  
"You know that's not what I wanted!" Ron couldn't help replying, his voice rising in frustration and anger.  
  
She spun around.  
  
"Then what did you want?" She yelled back, emotions finally cracking her icy exterior.  
  
Years of unanswered questions hung between them as they looked at each other, breathing heavily from shouting.  
  
"Hermione?" Michel walked into the locker room, looking at Ron in confusion.  
  
"Yes?" Hermione said distractedly.  
  
"We need you- it's meet and greet time."  
  
"Right. Fine." She said, still unable to look away from Ron.  
  
Michel looked between them, confused.  
  
"Hermione, we've got to go."  
  
"Okay." She finally looked away, following Michel.  
  
"You look all flushed. You ready to go?" Michel said critically as they left Ron alone in the locker room.  
  
"Of course." She fixed her hair, and put a practiced smile on her face as they crossed the field to the French team.  
  
cause i'm broken...  
  
when i'm lonesome...  
  
and i don't feel right...  
  
when you've gone away  
  
A/N- As I said, it's finally summer, and I've got loads of free time for updating-  
  
so drop me a review, and I'll keep those chapters coming! 


	2. I Think Alcohol Would Help This Situatio...

A/N- Thanks for the reviews, guys. Nobody belongs to me, sadly, and the quote is from the one and only Tarantino. Keep posting reviews and the chapter's keep coming!  
  
Reunion  
  
Chapter Two  
  
----  
  
"I hate that."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Awkward silences."  
  
-Uma Thurman and John Travolta, "Pulp Fiction"  
  
----  
  
"Brilliant game everyone! Let's all meet at Nox for a round-on me!" Harry finished his post-victory speech in the locker room, to rousing cheers and back-thumping of all his players.  
  
Harry went and showered, coming out to see Draco still getting dressed in a black button down and slacks with an insanely expensive looking leather jacket.  
  
"Wow, Malfoy. Big pimping." Harry said, grinning as he got dressed as well in his nicer night clothes to go out and celebrate.  
  
"Great save tonight, Potter." Draco said absently, slapping on cologne.  
  
"Thanks. You really had my back out there on that last play. I know I always say you're just a Beater to get out your sexual frustrations, but all kidding aside, you're quite good at it." Harry said, laughing.  
  
"Hey-I have absolutely no frustrations, Potter, believe me." Draco said, offended.  
  
"Are you and Ginny still…"  
  
"I don't really know- she says she just wants to be friends, but sends some…er…confusing signals, you might say."  
  
"Hey, Draco?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Please don't mention anything about you and Gin to Ron. I honestly think his head would explode if he found out." Harry implored him.  
  
"Since when do I care what Ron thinks?"  
  
"Just-tonight's supposed to be fun for everybody. Even people you don't like. I know that's a difficult concept for you to grasp-" Harry spoke slowly, as if addressing a young child.  
  
"I won't say anything." Draco sighed.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
----  
  
Ron waited outside the locker room for Harry, night falling on the emptying Quidditch pitch. Britain had won an astounding victory, especially for an away game.  
  
He suddenly heard her approaching, footsteps crunching in the slightly damp grass. It had been a foggy, misty day and was evolving into quite a dreary night.  
  
"Hello." She said, not looking at him as she stood on the other side of the locker room door.  
  
"I supposes it's kind of difficult to have joyous photo ops when your team loses." Ron said somewhat smugly.  
  
"You suppose correctly." She said icily.  
  
"Hey, Hermione?"  
  
"Yes?" She finally looked at him, appearing disinterested.  
  
"Can we call a truce? Just for tonight- be civil to each other, for Harry's sake?"  
  
"You think that will just solve all our problems, don't you? Put on a little show for Harry, and all the old feelings will just come rushing back, and everything will be like it was?"  
  
"No, of course I don't think that."  
  
"Glad to see some of your naïveté is fading."  
  
Ron rolled his eyes, crossing over to her angrily.  
  
"Look, Hermione, I'm not quite sure what you want me to apologize for here! I'm sorry for not wanting you to go? I'm sorry that you choosing your career over me made everything fall apart between us?"  
  
"I was not the only one culpable for everything falling apart." She looked up at him.  
  
"Bullsh! Everything was perfect with us before you decided to go to France!"  
  
"Nothing's ever perfect, Ron! We were not the perfect couple everyone thought we were, you know that as well as I do. Yes, I loved you then. And I know that you loved me. But every time you even mentioned a future together, you just seemed to assume I'd give up everything for you! I worked too hard at Hogwarts to just throw it all away!"  
  
"Maybe that's because you never would tell me WHAT you wanted, so I just had to fill in the blanks!"  
  
"Well, if we're really so perfect for each other, I can't believe you didn't understand why I wanted to do this so badly!"  
  
"Then tell me why! Why is this bloody job and bleeding France so damn important to you?" Ron was now fully shouting.  
  
"Because, Ron, I was running away from my undying love for you!" Draco said in a high falsetto voice, suddenly bursting into their little scene.  
  
Harry came out behind him, looking between his two red-faced best friends doing what they did best-fighting.  
  
"Why don't you two just save this little soap opera for after drinks, when you're both nice and knackered. I'm sure things will go much better." Draco winked suggestively at Hermione, ushering them forward.  
  
"Hello, Draco." Hermione blinked. She hadn't seen him in five years face-to-face, and it was rather odd to see him palling around and playing Quidditch with Harry.  
  
"Hello yourself. Heard about your nomination, you little go-getter." Draco hit her on the arm, still sounding rather patronizing as they all walked towards the bar, Nox, which was across the street.  
  
"Draco, don't you have somewhere else to be?" Ron looked at him with thinly disguised hatred.  
  
"While that was a very cutting remark, Weasel, I think I'll stay with you guys. Because 1) It's quite fun to annoy the two of you, and 2) because I was invited by your dear old Harry here."  
  
Ron looked over at Harry with befuddlement.  
  
"We're teammates now." Harry shrugged.  
  
Ron and Hermione exchanged a confused glance, and then caught themselves, angrily looking away.   
  
"Hey, you crazy kids." Ginny appeared out of nowhere, falling into step with them.  
  
"Where'd you apparate from?" Draco looked at her, a little startled.  
  
"The little girl's room. I had to change for drinks." She indicated her rather revealing black dress.  
  
Draco was about to make a very suggestive comment, but Harry glared at him, cutting him off.  
  
"Well, glad to see that at least one of the Weasley's doesn't solely own clothes suited for the homeless." Draco said instead.  
  
"Thank you?" Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, suddenly noticing Ron.  
  
"RONALD! Can you not even say hello to your one and only sister?" She grinned widely, hugging him tightly.  
  
"Hey, Gin. Good job today…you know, with the announcing." Ron said drolly.  
  
"Wow, Ron, contain your enthusiasm. I mean, I know it's been ages, but you're embarrassing me." Ginny said sarcastically.  
  
"Sorry, Gin. It's great to see you." Ron said, finally smiling a genuine smile at his little sister.  
  
"That's better." She grinned back, as they reached the bar.  
  
"I'm not sure we'll be too welcome here. France did just lose after all. They're probably all drowning their sorrows." Draco pointed out.  
  
"What are you, afraid of them?" Harry looked at him, laughing slightly.  
  
"Oh, Harry, you're making me feel so inadequate." Draco clutched his chest dramatically, pushing the black glass double doors open.  
  
Luckily, the rest of the British team was already there with nary a French player in sight. Harry's team was all ordering drinks from a rather displeased looking and obviously French bartender.  
  
Eric waved them all over to a booth, and they sat down.  
  
"I ordered practically everything-I figured it was on your tab, so why not?" He grinned at Harry, bringing over a tray of assorted drinks.  
  
"Go crazy. I'm proud of all of you- it's time to celebrate." Harry shrugged, taking a Firewhiskey shot.  
  
"Shouldn't you not be here? Not good for your campaign?" Ron looked over at Hermione, his words spiteful.  
  
"Thank you for your brilliant political advice." Hermione glared at him.   
  
She took a Firewhiskey shot as well and choked it down. She had never been much of a drinker, but being around Ron made her practically crave alcohol. It burned all the way down, and she clinked it down on the table hard, taking a deep breath.  
  
It would the first of many drinks for Hermione that night.  
  
----  
  
A/N- Please review! 


	3. Hark! The Plot Arrives!

A/N- Here's chapter three my lovely readers! Lyrics provided by Trapt, characters by the brilliant J.K. and some of my own.  
  
Reunion  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Same Old Story  
  
Look at me   
  
Still in your mind  
  
Our memories so intertwined  
  
Well you broke through and found your way  
  
And so did I   
  
No need to stay  
  
The same old picture, tried and true  
  
I remember the way you made me feel when I was with you  
  
I remember the smile that always brought me back to you  
  
That look in your eyes  
  
I never thought that this could be untrue  
  
"Slow down there. There's not going to any alcohol left for the rest of us." Ginny grinned, watching as Hermione downed yet another shot.  
  
"Oh, shove off." Hermione said, her speech slightly slurred.   
  
"Yeah, how many is that?" Draco looked over at Hermione, Ginny giggling slightly.  
  
Hermione looked away, trying to count but finding it rather difficult.  
  
"Too many." Harry suddenly approached the table, taking away the tray of drinks.  
  
"Hey!" Hermione went to stand up, but her head was spinning slightly.  
  
Ron watched her in silence from the end of the booth, also thoroughly knackered but in a strange state of indifference towards everything around him. Feeling rather sleepy, he decided to go get some fresh air.  
  
"Harry, I'm going for a walk."   
  
Harry looked down at his obviously intoxicated friend, regretting his "drinks on me" decision more and more every second.  
  
"Ron, I hardly think you're in any condition-"  
  
"Rubbish! I'm fine!" Ron said, smiling stupidly and stumbling out towards the door.   
  
"Where's he going?" Hermione looked over, the bright lights of the room making her head pound harder.  
  
"For a walk." Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
She sighed, regaining her senses slightly.   
  
"I should make sure he's alright." She said reluctantly.  
  
"You don't have to, I'll take him home. We should be going anyway." Harry grabbed her arm.  
  
"No, it's okay. You stay. Celebrate." Hermione brushed him off, walking out of the door with slightly wobbling steps into the cold night air.  
  
--  
  
Draco sat at the table, not really listening to the assorted conversations around him. He suddenly saw Ginny get up from across from him, smiling slightly and walking towards the door in the back.  
  
Draco waited for what seemed like a decent interval, then excused himself, following her. He opened the backdoor to rather seedy alley, where Ginny stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the damp stonewall.  
  
"Took you long enough." She grinned, stepping towards him slightly.  
  
"I'll make it worth the wait." Draco whispered, his breath hot against her ear.  
  
"You better." She looked up at him.  
  
Somehow, pretending that nothing was going on between them all night made him feel all hot and bothered. She apparently shared the sentiment, leaning towards him slowly.  
  
Draco couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed her arms, practically slamming her into the alley wall, and kissed her.  
  
They practically attacked each other, and as the long, intense kiss got more and more passionate, they both felt as if their nerves were crackling with the heat.   
  
Draco couldn't help it-he began to fumble with the zipper on the back of her dress as her hands slid under his shirt, feeling the taut muscles of his stomach that she had always found amazingly attractive.  
  
His lips slid to her neck, as she finally got his shirt off and threw it to the ground. Draco found it very hard to care that his insanely expensive shirt had landed right in a growing puddle as rain began to fall around them.  
  
He slipped the straps off her shoulders, his touch hot against her slightly prickling skin. She kissed him again, lost in a moment that seemed to be consuming her.  
  
Suddenly, the back door opened, revealing a waiter taking out a bag of trash.  
  
They both looked at him, flushed and in various states of undress.   
  
"Get a room." He sighed under his breath, pushing past them, depositing the trash bag and closing the door behind him.  
  
Draco and Ginny looked at each other.  
  
"I should be going." She said, straightening her dress and running a hand through her soaked, wild tangle of red hair.  
  
"Don't go." Draco found himself saying, and then grimaced. What a cheesy, romance movie thing to say.  
  
"They're probably looking for us."  
  
"Who cares?"  
  
"I care. Sorry." She didn't look at him, walking through the back door and out of the rain.  
  
Draco was left alone, and still shirtless. He picked his shirt off the ground, looking at it with a wrinkled nose.  
  
"She ruined my bloody shirt." He sighed under his breath, begrudgingly getting dressed in the soaking, cold fabric.  
  
--  
  
Ron had not made it very far. Hermione found him collapsed on a bench ten feet away from the entrance to Nox, his long arms splayed over the top of the bench.  
  
It had started to rain, and Hermione's feet splashed slightly as she approached.  
  
"Can't you just leave me alone?" Ron sighed, not turning around.  
  
"Ron, you're clearly drunk. I didn't want you to go wandering into traffic."  
  
"How kind. Based on previous conversations today, I'd say me wandering into traffic wouldn't upset you all that much."  
  
"You know that's not true," She paused, "Old habits die hard, I guess."  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
"I always had to take care of you." Hermione said harshly.  
  
Ron looked back at her.  
  
"If you're trying to provoke me into another fight, it's not happening."  
  
"I mean, honestly, Ron, I'm shocked you could get a job without me there to fill out the application. Or did Daddy do that for you?"  
  
"Shut up." His eyes narrowed slightly.  
  
"You know you were nothing without me and Harry. What did you ever do?" Hermione had no idea why she kept saying these things, but the alcohol coursing through her blood was making her very, very angry and very, very mean.  
  
"Shut up!" Ron stood up, his red hair wet from the rain.   
  
"What, the truth's too hard to swallow? You wonder why I left? Because you were holding me back. I was better off without you. That's what everyone thought…and look what I've accomplished now. You tried everything to make me stay, because you couldn't stand another person overshadowing you. First, your brothers, then, Harry, and then your own girlfriend. You wanted me to be less than I could be so that you could feel good about yourself for once in your life."  
  
"That's not true!" Ron shouted, breaking her off.  
  
"It is true." Hermione looked at him, the rain coming down harder now.  
  
"Have you always thought you were better than me?"  
  
"  
  
Everyone else did."  
  
"Did you?"  
  
Hermione paused, her heart twisting with her lies.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You arrogant bitch." Ron practically snarled, looking at her, his eyes dark with pain.  
  
"What, are you going to cry about it?" She shot back, her head starting to throb again.  
  
He looked at her for a long moment, wondering how he could ever have loved her more than anyone else in the world.  
  
"So you're saying you never felt anything for me?" He finally broke the silence.  
  
"I felt sorry for you." Hermione said, her voice ringing false even in her own ears.  
  
"You're lying." Ron looked at her, reading her face from years of practice.  
  
"You can believe that if you want."  
  
Ron suddenly closed the distance between them, his mouth inches from hers and his hands roughly gripping her arms.  
  
"I'll make you remember what you felt." He said, their lips almost touching.  
  
Hermione tried as hard as she could to be reviled, but was suddenly overwhelmed with a craving for him she had convinced herself was lost long ago. She closed her eyes, longing for the feeling of his mouth against hers. But it never came.  
  
She opened her eyes, and Ron stepped away from her, smiling cruelly.  
  
"I knew you were lying."   
  
And with that, he walked off down the street into the ever-growing storm, leaving Hermione with her heart pounding from a reaction of intense attraction she hadn't felt in years. Her blood coursing with alcohol and heat, she walked back into the bar.  
  
--  
  
Harry was asleep much later that night, after safely seeing all his friends and teammates to their respective rooms. Hermione didn't know where Ron had gone, but when Harry arrived at his room, there was a message waiting for him left on the table.  
  
Sorry for disappearing on you, mate. I'm fine-just needed some time to be by myself. And away from her. I'll catch up with you tomorrow.  
  
-Ron  
  
Harry sighed. What was their problem? Honestly, they were both adults now. It was time they started acting like it.  
  
Oh well.  
  
And with that thought, he had fallen asleep.  
  
"Harry." A strange, unfamiliar voice cut into his dreams.  
  
Harry jerked awake, instantly grabbing his wand and squinting into the darkness. A blurry, dark figure stood at the edge of his bed. He fumbled for his glasses, and put them on quickly.  
  
He blinked at his sudden restored sight.  
  
A girl with long, black hair and blue eyes met his gaze.  
  
"So you're the great Harry Potter." She said simply.  
  
"Er…I suppose. Who are you?" He looked at her, confused.  
  
"Lara. I'm here to help you. Before it's too late."  
  
"How'd you get in here?"  
  
"Apparation."  
  
"Don't these rooms have safeguards against that?"  
  
"None I couln't get through." She smiled slightly.  
  
"What are you here to help me with?" Harry looked at her curiously.  
  
"Do you know the name Bellatrix Lestrange?"  
  
"I haven't heard it since I graduated from Hogwarts and defeated Voldemort."  
  
She didn't even flinch when Harry said the name, a strange occurrence.  
  
"Well, she's back."  
  
"Look…Lara, right? I'm done with all of that. I've got my own life, and I'm not about to go down that road again."  
  
"Harry, she has powers you can't even imagine."  
  
"I've heard this song and dance, all right? I can't help you."  
  
"She can bring people back from the dead, Harry. Anyone she wants. And she's starting with Lucius Malfoy. The two worst Death Eaters, reunited again. This can't happen."  
  
"What do you want me to do about it?"  
  
"Please, just say you'll help me."  
  
"What does this have to do with you?"  
  
"When she brings him back…I can't explain all the details right now, but basically, they'll create a weapon that will kill every single Muggle and Muggle born witch or wizard alive. She sees it, and so will he, as some sort of purging process. Your friend…she's Muggle born, right?" Lara said desperately.  
  
"How do you know about Hermione?"  
  
"I've been watching you for weeks. Trying to find the right time to talk to you."  
  
"How do you know me?"  
  
"Who doesn't know you?   
  
"Why does this matter so much to you?" Harry demanded impatiently.  
  
"When my father died and my mother left, a man took pity on me and raised me. He's Muggle born. I won't…I can't let this happen. Not just for him, for the millions of innocent lives that would be lost."  
  
"How do I know you're not lying?"  
  
"Do a truth spell. I don't care, do whatever you have to." She handed him her wand, her blue eyes pleading.  
  
Harry looked at her for a long moment, trying to read her.   
  
"It's all right. I believe you." He handed her the wand back.  
  
"You'll help me?"  
  
"Of course." Harry sighed, flopping back down on the bed.  
  
"Thank you. I'll contact you tomorrow." Lara smiled at him, her eyes wet with tears of relief.  
  
"See you then." Harry nodded.  
  
He put his hands over his eyes after she left, sighing heavily. Why? Why could he never truly escape? He had thought it was over, but now that idea seemed laughable. It was never over. And it never would be.  
  
--  
  
A/N- Please review! 


	4. I Thought It Was Forever

A/N- Thanks for the reviews guys-keep 'em coming!  
  
Disclaimer- Lyrics to the wonderful Dashboard Confessional, most characters to the brilliant J.K.   
  
Reunion   
  
Chapter Four  
  
I Thought It Was Forever  
  
--  
  
I'm reading your note over again  
  
There's not a word that I comprehend,  
  
Except when you signed it  
  
"I will love you always and forever."  
  
I'm missing your laugh  
  
How did it break?  
  
And when did your eyes begin to look fake?  
  
I hope you're as happy as you 're pretending  
  
--  
  
The ride to King's Cross station at the end of their seventh year was heavy with a tense, exhausted silence. Harry looked sullenly out the window, his body still aching from the final battle that had taken place weeks ago, but the wounds still felt fresh and painful. The fear of losing everything and everyone if he was defeated had left a mark as distinct as the scar he still bore, and it haunted him even now, when the danger was really gone. He had won. He was again the most celebrated hero in the wizardering world. But he didn't know if he'd ever be the same.  
  
Harry was leaving in a week to begin training with the British professional Quiddditch team. They had recruited himself and Draco Malfoy right out of Hogwarts, two of the youngest to ever be placed right on the roster. Harry sighed. Malfoy would be the only person he'd see from Hogwarts for a while. Bloody fantastic. But wrapping himself up in Quidditch practices seemed like just the right thing at the moment.  
  
Hermione was used to burying herself in a book during awkward silences. But now school was over, and all the books were read, and she had nothing to hide behind anymore. So she just sat there, looking over at Harry empathetically, and avoiding Ron's eyes as much as possible.   
  
The letter inviting her to France was tucked in her book bag.  
  
Harry sighed heavily, breaking from his brooding for a moment. He looked at his two best friends, anxious for some mindless conversation to distract him for a bit.  
  
"We're finally finished." Harry said, trying to spur discussion.  
  
"Yes. We bloody well are." Ron looked at Hermione pointedly.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"Okay, you two, what happened? Why are both of you in such rotten moods? It's our last train ride from Hogwarts, we should be catching up on the good old days, not pouting in the corner like some Muggle soap opera characters!" Harry said, expasperated.  
  
"Oh, nothing happened, Harry. Just Ronald can't seem to accept the fact that some of us want to do something with our life that matters." Hermione finally spoke.  
  
"Right, because little Ronald's pathetic job at the Ministry couldn't possibly matter as much as some stupid, snobbish academy in France." Ron said, doing a rather uncanny, if rude, impression of her.  
  
"You said it, not me." Hermione shot back.  
  
"Aargh! I can't stand hearing you two bitch at each other the whole way home!" Harry threw his hands up in frustration, quickly leaving the compartment and slamming the door behind him.  
  
Ron and Hermione were left in the compartment, glaring at each other.  
  
"Real nice, Ron." Hermione looked at him angrily.  
  
"Don't you dare blame me for this! This is your decision, and I have every right to be mad!" Ron practically yelled back.  
  
"Keep your voice down." She said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"No, sorry, you're right. I guess I shouldn't expect anything from you but immaturity."  
  
Ron looked away from her, his thoughts filled with biting retorts, but for once he held his tongue. This was awful. He had been madly in love with her for so long, and knew that she loved him back. They had always fought, but not with the same bitterness their words were heavy with now.  
  
"This isn't right." Ron finally spoke, not looking at her.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"It shouldn't end like this."  
  
"Well, then how do you think it should end?"  
  
"We should be together. You know it."  
  
Hermione fell silent, her heart twisting slightly. Of course she knew it. Why was she running away from him? But then her selfish voice crept back into her mind. Why can't he just be happy for you, Hermione? Why won't he just say he'll wait for you, or come with you? He could work anywhere, and you have the opportunity of a lifetime.  
  
"Ron, it's not like I'm leaving forever. I don't know why this upsets you so much."  
  
"Yes, you do. You know it upsets me…because you won't come back. You'll find everything you want in France…a perfect job, a perfect life, and probably some seemingly perfect rich bloke to go along with it. You'll never come back if you leave tonight. Why would you?"  
  
Hermione didn't reply, so they lapsed into silence again. She looked out the window, and saw that they were getting closer to the station. Ron was right about something. She couldn't bear to leave things this way between them. So she finally looked at him, tentatively taking his hand.  
  
"Ron…even if all those things happen, and I never do come back, you'll still always be my first. My first kiss, my first love, my first…everything. I'll never forget you-and I'm sorry if this hurts you, but it's just something I have to do. Please try to understand that."  
  
Ron's blue eyes softened slightly.  
  
"I can't lose you."  
  
"You won't."  
  
"You don't know that."  
  
"I've always been yours, Ron. That's something you can't lose."  
  
She kissed him softly, feeling relieved that they weren't fighting for the first time in a long while.   
  
Ron's hands slid into her hair, pulling her closer. Hermione felt that familiar heat spreading through her body, and the kiss deepened…how could anyone ever make her feel like this again?   
  
They breathlessly and reluctantly broke apart as things got more heated, remembering where they were and thinking they didn't want to scar some first year for life.  
  
They sat there for a moment, their foreheads touching.  
  
"Stay with me." Ron said, out of breath but insistent.  
  
It caused Hermione physical pain to reply, but she'd made up her mind along time ago, and she was the most stubborn person at Hogwarts, other than Ron, of course.  
  
"I can't." Her voice was weak and unconvincing.  
  
"Stay with me. Don't go." He said, kissing her again, and for a moment, it was hard to remember why she wanted to go at all.  
  
After a moment, Ron pulled away, his dark blue eyes on hers piercingly.  
  
"Marry me."  
  
She pulled away in shock.  
  
"R-Ron, I can't do that."  
  
He looked at her, and his face didn't really fall, it just went blank.  
  
"Fine." His voice, so passionate a moment ago, was now completely emotionless.  
  
"Ron, I'm sorry. It's just-we're only seventeen, and maybe when I get back, we could-" She grabbed his arm, pleading.  
  
"You're not sorry." Ron said, laughing bitterly.  
  
"Ron, you can't just…" Hermione's voice broke with frustration.   
  
Suddenly, Harry entered.  
  
"We're at the station." He announced, just as the train came to a jolting halt.  
  
After goodbyes to Harry, Ron and Hermione had walked off in two opposite directions without a word to each other. The Weasley family looked at Ron curiously after their chilly goodbye, or lack thereof, searching for an explanation.  
  
He offered none, getting in the car and slamming the door.  
  
And that had been that.  
  
--  
  
Ron remembered that day with acidic clarity. Bloody hell, if he had thought things were bad back then…he remembered being angry that day, but he had never felt such sadistic pleasure from hurting her as he had last night. He hated this, but saw absolutely now way to rectify the situation. He wasn't apologizing, damn it. He hadn't done anything wrong. If she wanted to fix things, which he highly doubted, it was her move.  
  
Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door.   
  
"Ron, it's Harry."  
  
Ron sighed with relief, getting up to answer the door.  
  
Harry stood there with an equally relieved expression.  
  
"I just wanted to make sure you were all right. I got your note."  
  
"Sorry. I just needed to cool off."  
  
"Understood."  
  
A companionable silence fell between them as Harry entered and plopped down in a chair.  
  
"Look, mate, if she's driving you crazy, don't feel like you have to stay because of me. I would not take it personally at all if the combination of your ex-girlfriend and Draco Malfoy made you want to run screaming in the other direction."  
  
"It's okay, Harry. I mean, of course I'd rather not see either of them…ever again, but I'll be fine."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
Harry sighed.  
  
"Then can I tell you something?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"I had an unexpected visitor in my hotel room last night."  
  
"Niiice." Ron grinned.  
  
"No, not like that. I have no idea how she got in. Said her name was Lara, and that she needs my help."  
  
"I bet she did." Ron's grin widened.  
  
"Ron, I'm serious! She started talking about how Bellatrix Lestrange, you remember her?"  
  
"Freakshow." Ron said in a sing-song voice.  
  
"Yeah, well, Bellatrix has found a way to bring people back from the dead. The worst kind of Dark Magic there is. And she wants to bring back Lucius Malfoy…the only other Death Eater ever as powerful and influential as she was."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Yeah-and they're trying to make this weapon that would kill all the Muggles and Muggle borns. Like ALL of them."  
  
Ron's mind flashed unbidden to Hermione, but he quickly pushed that thought away.  
  
"That's awful, Harry."  
  
"I know. She said she'd contact me today. I just don't know…"  
  
"If you can trust her." Ron finished the thought.  
  
"Exactly. I mean, she gave me her wand to do a truth spell, and I didn't because I figured the gesture was enough- I mean those truth spells are awful. She seemed like she was telling the truth…"  
  
"But sending her to you would be a pretty easy way for Bellatrix to bait you."  
  
"Right."  
  
"I don't know, Harry- you can't afford to gamble wrong here. I say give her the benefit of the doubt for now-I mean, you can take care of yourself, even if it is a trap."  
  
"That's true. Do you think I should ask--"  
  
"No."  
  
"Okay. Fine. I'm going with my instinct here, mate." Harry shrugged, going to leave.  
  
"Hey, Harry, wait."  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"She hot?"  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
Ron laughed.  
  
"Going with your instinct. Riiiight."  
  
"Shove off." Harry grinned back, leaving and closing the door behind him.  
  
--  
  
Ginny sat in the hotel lobby, flipping through a fashion magazine with feigned semi-interest. Harry and Ron had called to say they were coming down in a moment. Draco she had not seen since their little alley incident.   
  
She smiled in remembrance. How scandalous of them.   
  
"Hey."   
  
Ginny looked up to see Eric Langly, the British Quidditch beater.  
  
"Hi."  
  
"You're that Quidditch reporter, right?"  
  
"No, I perform sexual favors for anyone on the team who wants them."  
  
Eric blinked. Ginny smacked herself mentally. It was hard to remember not every guy was Draco, and not every guy thought those kind of jokes were funny.  
  
"I'm kidding. Yes, I'm the Quidditch reporter. Ginny Weasley."  
  
"Eric Langly."  
  
"I know." She smiled.  
  
"Oh, right." He grinned as well, sitting down next to her.  
  
"You waiting for someone?" She said, putting down the magazine.  
  
"No. Just don't really have anything left to do until we all apparate out tonight." Eric said, obviously fishing for an invite.  
  
Ginny shrugged. He was cute in a burly sort of way, and seemed nice enough, if a little desperate.  
  
"Well, Harry and an old friend of his, my older brother, Ron, we were all going to hang out today."  
  
"Just the three of you?"  
  
"Well, Hermione Granger, too, probably."  
  
"Really? She seemed kind of…ice queen at the bar last night."  
  
"Yeah, she didn't used to be like that. I think it might all be an act. But what do I know, right?"  
  
Eric smiled, revealing startlingly white teeth, offset nicely by his tanned, freckled skin. Ginny was suddenly reminded of her older brother, Charlie, and felt a little grossed out by being attracted to him earlier.  
  
"So, Ginny, tell me about you." He said, sitting a little closer.  
  
"Not much to tell." She said, wanting Ron and Harry to get down here.  
  
"Are you seeing anyone?"  
  
"Er….no, not really." Ginny said absently.  
  
"Me neither." Eric said, trying to sound offhand.  
  
"That's too bad." She said, trying to think of an excuse to leave.  
  
The elevator doors opened across the lobby. Finally, she thought to herself. But Draco walked out. She felt strangely relieved.  
  
"Draco!" She called out, thankful for an excuse to get up.  
  
She walked over to him, seeing him look over with that familiar face of bemused disinterest. For some reason, it was rather refreshing after Eric breathing down her neck.  
  
"Morning, Gin." He said, walking towards her.  
  
She looked over, and saw Eric watching them with great interest. Ginny smiled slightly to herself.  
  
"So, thanks for last night." She said, in a suddenly seductive voice, walking over and kissing Draco hard.  
  
Draco rather sloppily responded due to her catching him extremely off guard.  
  
"Weasley, what the hell?" He broke the kiss, looking around them.  
  
"Sorry. Just scaring off that guy over there." She indicated Eric with her eyes.  
  
"Oh, Eric? Yeah, he hits on anything with…well, you know."  
  
"Charming. Come on." She laced her fingers through his, walking over to Eric.  
  
Eric looked at her, confused.  
  
"I thought you said you weren't seeing anyone."  
  
Ginny furrowed her eyebrows with mock befuddlement.  
  
"What, Draco and me? We're just friends." She smiled, sliding her hand to his ass and walking out the front door with him.  
  
"Enjoying this a bit much, aren't we?" Draco rolled his eyes.  
  
"Perhaps." Ginny shrugged.  
  
"Shouldn't you wait for Harry and Ron?"  
  
"Yeah-would it kill you to hang out with them for a day? For me?"  
  
"Gin, I'm sorry for any confusion, I don't do things for other people."  
  
"Right, my mistake. I'll make it worth your while later?" She countered.  
  
"That's better. We'll wait out here for them. May I quietly mock them at least?"  
  
"Quietly? Mock away." She conceded.  
  
"Is Granger coming?"  
  
"I don't know. She and Ron kind of tore into it last night…and not in a good way."  
  
"Is there ever a good way with them?" Draco shuddered at the mental image.  
  
"You know what I mean. And come on, some part of you finds Hermione attractive. The whole 'forbidden fruit' thing?" Ginny prodded him.  
  
"I kind of covered that fetish with you, Weasley."  
  
"True."  
  
At that moment, Harry and Ron walked out the sliding door and Ginny made sure to put her hands back in her pockets so her brother wouldn't have a coronary. He had enough problems at the moment, it seemed.   
  
"Morning, Gin." Ron said in greeting, obstinately ignoring Draco.  
  
"Good morning, Ron!" Draco said, in a fake cheerful voice, extending a hand.  
  
Ron looked down at it.  
  
"Are you kidding?"  
  
"You cut me deeply, Weasel." Draco clutched his hand to his chest, and they all fell into step together.  
  
"Is Hermione coming?" Ginny asked as they started to walk off.  
  
"No. She called this morning to say she has to campaign today, but she'll be at the apparating spot tonight to say good-bye."  
  
"She said that?" Ron snorted in disbelief.  
  
"Well, good-bye to me and Ginny was more what she said." Harry clarified.  
  
"Man, just random hits on Draco out of nowhere this morning!" Draco shook his head.  
  
"Don't talk about yourself in the third person. It scares Ginny." Ginny said, laughing slightly.  
  
Ron looked at her, seeing the smile on her face, and felt his stomach twist with revulsion. No, surely he was imagining things.   
  
"So what's on the agenda today?" Ginny said, quickly changing the subject when she saw the look on Ron's face.  
  
"We could go…" Harry's voice trailed off.  
  
"Snorkeling! Skydiving! Skiing! Sailing! My friends and Ron, the world is our oyster!" Draco said with mock excitement.  
  
"It's really amazing how many leisure activities start with the same letter." Ginny mused.  
  
"I'm hungry." Ron interjected.  
  
"And?" Draco looked at him with raised eyebrows.  
  
"Draco, stop being annoying. I'm hungry too." Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
They walked by a moving poster plastered on the wall that said VOTE GRANGER. Ron, without even glancing at it, tore it down.  
  
"Rowr! You tell her, Weasel." Draco smiled.  
  
"So, when can we expect you two to stop fighting so we can all hang out again? Because it's reeeally getting old." Ginny sighed.  
  
"I'm never talking to her again." Ron said under his breath.  
  
"Yeah, right." Harry sighed. He had heard that a few times before.  
  
"No, I'm serious. She's awful, Harry. She's turned into like this evil bitch from Hades in our absence."  
  
"Did she make you cry with only her words?" Draco said sympathetically.  
  
"Shut up, Draco, I don't even know why you're here." Ron snapped suddenly.  
  
"Oh Ron, why do you hate me so?" Draco looked at him, trying not to laugh.  
  
"I'm out of here. I'm not putting up with him all day." Ron turned abruptly, walking back towards the hotel.  
  
"Something I said?" Draco shrugged, and Ginny hit him on the arm.  
  
"You two go ahead. I'll go make sure Ron's all right. And Draco-come on, man, know when to stop." Harry shook his head, smiling slightly.  
  
"But that takes all the fun out of life." Draco pouted, leaning up against the wall.  
  
Ginny looked at him disapprovingly.  
  
"Seriously, Draco, lay off. Ron's got enough going on right now. I mean, do you have to be an asshole all of the time? Why don't you try just giving it a break…like five minute intervals of total silence?"  
  
"What, did you expect me and the town idiot just to be insta-pals? Come on."  
  
"He's NOT an idiot. And he's my brother."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry. I solemnly swear to NEVER be friends with Ron Weasley."  
  
"Then have a great day--and night, I might add--all by yourself, Draco Malfoy." Ginny shrugged, following her brother and Harry.  
  
--  
  
Ginny entered the hotel to see Ron and Harry talking on the couches in the lobby.   
  
"What are you doing here?" Ron looked up at her.  
  
"Couldn't resist a good storm-off." Ginny smiled.  
  
Suddenly, a startlingly attractive girl with long, black hair and blue eyes approached the table.  
  
"Harry? Can we talk?" She asked, clearly indicating that she meant alone.  
  
Ginny looked at the girl, then back at Harry and Ron.  
  
"You know what, Harry, I'll field this one. Little sister duties and all that. You go ahead."   
  
He smiled thankfully at her, and they walked off.  
  
"Yowza." Ron could not help but say.  
  
"Oh, do you think I'm someone else?" Ginny looked at him, trying not to smile.  
  
"Sorry, but…wow."  
  
"No, I know what you mean. Go Harry." She giggled slightly, turning back to her brother.  
  
"So, do you want to talk? About anything?"  
  
"No, I don't want to talk about Hermione." Ron said angrily.  
  
"We don't have to talk about her." Ginny prodded.  
  
Ron paused for a moment.  
  
"It's just, she's not the person I knew before, you know? She's like this evil demon in a Hermione shell…like that Muggle movie Dad made us watch once."  
  
Ginny smiled at the reference.  
  
"Go on."  
  
"I didn't think it was possible for someone to change so much. And I hate it the most because I told her this was going to happen, and she wouldn't listen. She was always like that…once she made up her mind, she was GOING to do it, no two ways around it. But no one can be right all of the time, you know?"  
  
"Of course." Ginny conceded, just letting her older brother spew.  
  
"And the worst part?" Ron's voice got a little softer, playing with his watch on his left wrist.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Some part of me really misses her. The real her, the one I…the one I fell in love with. I want to move on, I want to forget her, I know she's not worth this, I just…can't."  
  
Ginny didn't say anything else. He wouldn't have heard her anyway.  
  
--  
  
Lara pulled Harry into a hallway lined with hotel rooms, seeing no one around.  
  
"What's wrong?" He said, looking at her consternated expression.  
  
"I fear we're too late. I fear it's already started." She said breathlessly, and Harry picked up the faintest hint of an accent. He couldn't quite place where it was from, and he had been too groggy to really notice it last night.  
  
"Why do you think that?"  
  
"Ever since I woke up this morning, I've felt a cold hand gripping my throat…do you know what I mean?"  
  
"Actually, yes. That always used to happen--you know, with Voldemort and my scar."  
  
"Right. Then you know you cannot explain why it feels like it does, but you also counted feelings as a valid omen."  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
"That's how I've felt all morning."  
  
"So what do we do?"  
  
"We try to find them. You and I. And whoever else you can trust. Whoever else you think could help us."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"I don't trust anyone. Not anymore."  
  
"Not even me?"  
  
"I think you will be helpful. That doesn't mean I trust you." Lara said in a very businesslike voice.  
  
"Let me talk to my friends tonight. I'll meet you tomorrow morning with anyone who's willing."  
  
"What about your Quidditch team?"  
  
"Maybe it's time I gave someone else a chance to play." Harry said, smiling a little cockily.  
  
"Nice attitude." Lara smiled slightly, and Harry was taken aback with how pretty she was when she smiled.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow morning."  
  
"Yes."  
  
--  
  
A dark corridor led to the room. The stones were wet with condensation, and hundreds of candles feebly held onto their flame.  
  
A woman was looking at her reflection in a cracked mirror. Her sharply angular face was strangely attractive while still frightening to behold. She looked like the devil-alluring and tempting but deadly.  
  
Bellatrix Lestrange was a woman who had always known what she wanted. And all she had ever wanted, even during her years at Hogwarts, was power. She had tasted it before, she bore the mark on her forearm to prove that.  
  
But she had never really held it in her hands, possessed it as her own. Power had been hers, but only the power of a respected underling. And that insulted her. She wanted to be stronger, darker, more great than her former master had ever imagined.  
  
And all that had led her to tonight.  
  
She looked over the cauldron, the blood of so many unnoticed, unloved Muggle victims swirling in a miasma of scarlet fluid.   
  
Bellatrix drew out her wand, gnarled from so much use, small cracks permeated it from her many unforgivable curses. She drank in the aroma of the liquid, almost crying from the sheer joy of what she could accomplish if this worked…WHEN this worked.  
  
She began to speak, her voice raspy from smoke and heavy with pleasure.  
  
"From the blood of the lesser rises my equal-  
  
Their feeble lives unify as a single force-  
  
Deliver him from the chains of death-  
  
DELIVER HIM TO ME!"  
  
Her voice cracked, as she began to laugh maniacally. The liquid began to bubble uncontrollably, spraying blood all over her face and clothes as she began to laugh harder and harder. Finally, a head and shoulders emerged, and she saw his face.  
  
After a moment more, his whole body was free from the liquid, and he levitated slightly above the cauldron.  
  
Bellatrix took his hand, and the spell holding him up was broken. He fell to the floor, weak, exhausted, but alive.  
  
She fell to the floor beside him.  
  
"Open your eyes, my love. Open your eyes and see what I've done. I brought you back."  
  
He slowly complied, his light blue eyes taking in his surroundings with the wide-eyed wonder of an infant.  
  
"Lucius, it's just the two of us now. We can finally do everything we always planned. Death for you was not the end, darling. It has proved to be only the beginning."  
  
She smiled, a strangely eerie smile, and she leaned forward to hear him as he struggled to speak. He finally managed.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
She kissed him in return, the blood still salty and wet on his lips.  
  
--  
  
A/N- Review! 


	5. Come Home

A/N- Keep those reviews coming guys! Most of the characters belong to J.K., and the lyrics belong to the brilliant Sarah McLachlan.   
  
Reunion   
  
Chapter Five  
  
Come Home  
  
--  
  
That night, Harry and Draco arrived with Ron and Ginny at the apparating spot, a clearing in a forest, for their team. They were early, and the spot was deserted.  
  
Harry turned to face them, suddenly a little nervous with trying to convince them to help with this mission that he knew next to nothing about. Some part of him didn't even want to tell them. But he also knew that he and Lara most likely couldn't accomplish this by themselves…even if he was Harry Potter. Facing Voldemort by himself had been the riskiest thing he'd ever done, and it had worked…once. Now there two enemies, and Harry felt, at the least, his friends had the right to know where he was going.  
  
"Hey guys-I need to tell you something." He said hesitantly.  
  
They all stopped, looking at him curiously.  
  
"I'm going to be leaving for awhile. I was just contacted by a woman named Lara who told me that Bellatrix Lestrange has discovered a way of tapping into the Dark Magic that enables her to bring people back from the dead. And last night, we think she brought back Lucius Malfoy."  
  
Harry looked at the fleeting terror on Draco's face, quickly replaced by smug indifference.  
  
"Oh, hooray. It'll be just swell to see Old Dad again." Draco said, smiling slightly but his heart pounding strangely fast.  
  
"It gets worse. Together, they're going to make some kind of weapon, that, if harnessed, could kill every Muggle and Muggle-born in existence. They're calling it "The Purging."  
  
Harry's words were met with utter silence for a long moment.  
  
"Rather convenient that this Lara person happens to know all these details, don't you think?" Hermione's familiar voice suddenly cut through the air.  
  
"What are you doing here so early?" Harry said, slightly startled.  
  
"Finished my press conference early. Figured I'd drop by." She said, leaning against a tree.  
  
"Did you hear everything?"  
  
"Yes. And it sounds to me like you're being set up, Harry."  
  
"You always think that." Ron rolled his eyes.  
  
"Oh, forgive me, Ron. Remind me of a time I jumped to the wrong conclusions." She looked at him, her eyes sparking slightly.  
  
"You thought Sirius hexed that broom he sent to Harry!" Ron couldn't help blurting out.  
  
At the mention of Sirius, Harry's face fell slightly. Hermione ignored Ron, walking over to Harry.  
  
"Look, Harry, I'm just saying it's a little too easy to assume that she really wants your help. You don't know her, none of us know her, and many people still want to kill you. Odds are…" Her voice trailed off, leading them all to the obvious conclusion.  
  
"As much as it pains me to say this, she has a point." Draco agreed.  
  
"But, just to play devil's advocate here, what if she's telling the truth and we don't do anything?" Ginny pointed out.  
  
"We?" Draco looked at her with raised eyebrows.  
  
"I thought about that, Gin. I just think it's too big of a possible threat not to take a risk." Harry said, glad someone was on his side.  
  
"Harry's right." Ginny looked around.  
  
"So what? Are you asking us to just go traipsing around Europe with you and some complete stranger on the off chance we find the craziest woman to ever walk the planet and Daddy Dearest?" Draco said.  
  
"Well, when you put it like THAT…" Harry said, knowing he was losing them quickly.  
  
"I'm sure this girl has leads, or she wouldn't have shown up." Ginny said.  
  
Everyone was quiet for a moment, considering.  
  
"What about the team?" Draco brought up.  
  
"Sorry, mate. People are more important than Quidditch." Harry shrugged.  
  
"I'm not convinced." Draco crossed his arms, but it was obvious he was kidding.  
  
"I'm telling the team tonight that I have to leave for awhile. And I need to know who's coming with me. Come on, guys…in or out?" Harry looked at all of them seriously.  
  
"I'm in." Ginny said immediately.  
  
Draco looked at her with an expression of indignation.  
  
"Come on, Draco, you can't let your father get away with this." She appealed.  
  
Draco rolled his eyes.  
  
"Fine, I'll play." He relented, surprising all of them.  
  
"Really, Draco? You'll come?" Harry said, obviously impressed.  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
Harry looked at Ron next.  
  
"Ron?"  
  
"Of course." Ron said, as if it wasn't even a question.  
  
Hermione was the only one who hadn't said anything either way. She was staring off into space, her brow furrowed slightly.  
  
"Hermione? Care to share your thoughts with the whole class?" Ron looked over at her.  
  
"Harry, if a ministerial candidate just suddenly disappears, don't you think that would draw too much attention to this?"  
  
"Hermione, you don't have to make excuses. Just say you're not coming if you're not." Harry said.  
  
"It's just…I'm a high-profile person, and I'm concluding you want this under the radar. So if I come, it would only-"  
  
"SO DON'T COME." Ron said, cutting her off.  
  
Hermione bit her lip, looking down at her feet.   
  
"I mean, don't do us any favors." Ron said angrily.  
  
Harry decided he needed to intervene quickly.  
  
"Hermione, look. I'd feel better if you came. We all would, even Ron and even Draco. You're ten times smarter than probably our knowledge combined, I trust you, and I know you'd be a real asset to this."  
  
"Harry, there's no proof to back up any of this." Hermione said somewhat feebly.  
  
Harry looked at her with disbelief.  
  
"Ron's right. You're not the same person anymore. The Hermione I knew would be there in a second, no questions asked. But if you can sleep at night knowing you turned this down, that's fine. Just leave. Go back to the life you settled for." Harry said, his voice harsher than Hermione had ever heard it.  
  
"I'm sorry." Was all she said, and she walked back through the trees and out of sight.  
  
There was long, weighted silence.  
  
"Next time, on Passions…" Draco said, in a cheesy announcer voice, breaking the tension slightly.  
  
But Ginny didn't laugh. She simply got up, and followed Hermione.  
  
"Gin, don't. It's no use." Ron said, defeated.  
  
"Let me handle this." She practically growled, stomping after Hermione.  
  
"Ooh, you're kinda sexy when you're angry." Draco called after her.  
  
Ron looked at him, shocked.  
  
"Don't call my sister sexy." Ron sputtered, indignant.  
  
"Why not?" Draco crossed his arms.  
  
"Because it's…wrong?" Ron offered.  
  
"Well, if that's wrong, I don't want to be right." Draco smiled wider, remembering how fun it was to provoke Ron.  
  
"Harry, do you know what he's babbling about?" Ron looked over at Harry.  
  
"Seldom, if ever." Harry replied, desperately wanting to change the subject.  
  
Draco noticed.  
  
"Weasel, don't have a seizure. I was just kidding. The thought of touching your little sister makes me want to take a scalding hot shower." Draco said dismissively.  
  
"Is he telling the truth?" Ron looked over at Harry.  
  
"I dunno." Harry shrugged, fidgeting slightly.  
  
"So, Weasley-how's Granger in the sack?" Draco said, finally deciding on the most abrupt subject change possible.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes, ignoring him.  
  
Harry couldn't help but laugh slightly.  
  
"What are you laughing at, Potter? You always wondered too, didn't you?" Draco said, delighted.  
  
"Maybe a little." Harry shrugged.  
  
"Harry!" Ron said, looking affronted.  
  
"Come on, Ron, you spend THAT much time with someone of the opposite sex, the thought crosses your mind. But I don't know-she always seemed a little too much like my sister."  
  
"Whatever. I don't care. Fantasize away, she is fortunately not my girlfriend anymore." Ron shrugged flippantly, just as more Quidditch players began to arrive at the spot.  
  
They quickly broke the good-humored mood of the trio when the rest of the Quidditch team arrived, their eyes wide with shock.  
  
"Harry!" The youngest player, a new girl recruit from Hogwarts, ran up to him, her eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot.  
  
"Elizabeth, what's wrong? What is it?" Harry said, his smile fading immediately.  
  
"It's Eric Langly. He's dead!"  
  
--  
  
Ginny cut through the forest as though she was carrying a bushwhacker, easily catching up to Hermione.  
  
"Hermione! Stop!" She yelled, still bristling with anger.  
  
"What?" Hermione spun around, equally angry with defensiveness.  
  
"Okay, why don't you enlighten me, because I'm really curious."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Why do you have to be such a raging bitch?"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"You heard me. You seem to have some sort of compulsion for being like, this evil creature, and I'm just wondering why."  
  
"I am not a…raging bitch."  
  
"Uh, yeah, you are."  
  
"Look, just because I don't want your brother anymore doesn't mean you have any right to hate me."  
  
"But, you see, the trouble is, you DO want him."  
  
"Well, just because your family loyalty leads you to believe that doesn't mean its true."  
  
"I don't care if he's my brother or some homeless guy off the street. Anyone in the same room with you two can tell you still want each other, and all this seething hatred and emotional crap is just a front to prevent actually working anything out."  
  
"What do you know about it?"  
  
"More than you think, Hermione! I've known Ron a hell of a lot longer than you have, and your feelings are much more transparent than you seem to believe."  
  
"Fine, I'll play along. Did you plan on arriving at a point during this little diatribe?" Hermione crossed her arms.  
  
"Yes, actually. I don't think that anything between you and Ron should prevent you from helping Harry. You can lie to yourself and say that's not what it's about, but it is. You don't want to go, because you don't want to have to face up to the person you've become. But, sooner or later, you're going to have to, Hermione, and Harry needs you. We all need you. Your parents need you. The entire Muggle world and every Muggle born in the wizardering world needs you. I don't think you can just turn your back on that."  
  
Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but for once in her life, could think of nothing to say.  
  
"GINNY!" Draco came barreling into the clearing, for once his face not twisted with bemusement.  
  
"What is it?" Ginny turned to him, alarmed.  
  
"Eric Langly. He's dead." Draco said, not even acknowledging Hermione.  
  
"What? How?"  
  
"He was Muggle-born, Gin."  
  
"It's already started." Ginny finished that thought dolefully.  
  
"Right. Harry's talking to the team now. We leave 6 o'clock tomorrow morning from the hotel."  
  
"For where?"  
  
"London. Eric's family lives there, Harry thinks he should tell them personally.. It's also the site of many recent Muggle disappearances, according to Lara. She just apparated over here with the news. Also, we're going to stop by Hogwarts- see if Dumbledore has the faintest clue where we should start." Suddenly, Draco looked over at Hermione as if just noticing her.  
  
"Oh, feel free to move along, Granger. None of this concerns you."  
  
Hermione didn't say anything, but complied, walking off through the trees.  
  
Ginny and Draco both glared after her, but then returned to their conversation.  
  
"They sent me to come get you-everyone's pretty shaken up."  
  
"Understandably."  
  
"Come on."  
  
He took her by the arm, leading her back to the clearing.  
  
--  
  
"Did it work?" Bellatrix purred, spread out on the red leather couch.  
  
Lucius looked over at her from the enchanted scroll of every Muggle and Muggle Born name. It was a weapon practically dripping with Dark Magic-a nail soaked in pure blood had to be hammed through the name, and they'd die. It was enticingly simple. They had chosen Eric Langly because he was close enough to Potter as to worry him, but not as close as that miserable Granger girl. They didn't want to use up the Ace in their sleeve that quickly. She could wait…for later.   
  
"It's difficult to say. I'm sure the reports will come out tomorrow if he's dead. If not-" Lucius wiped his bloody finger with a piece of cloth.  
  
"If NOT? Bite your tongue!" Bellatrix cut him off.  
  
"Do it for me." Lucius smiled.  
  
She complied.  
  
--  
  
The next morning dawned, foggy and gray. How fitting.  
  
Harry and Ron sat outside the hotel on one of the benches.  
  
"Where's everyone else?"   
  
Harry shrugged.  
  
As if on cue, Draco came out the front door, looking impeccable as ever.  
  
"Ahh, lovely morning." He said, practically collapsing next to them.  
  
"You seem cheerful." Harry looked at him suspiciously.  
  
"Aren't I always?" Draco grinned cheekily back.  
  
Just then, Ginny walked out the front door.  
  
"Morning, all. Ready for evil-vanquishing?" She said, leaning against the wall next to the bench.  
  
"Aren't I always?" Harry smiled.  
  
"And that, in comedy, is referred to as a 'call-back'." Draco pointed out.  
  
Lara walked up then, as usual clothed in dark colors, her long, black hair flying around her face.  
  
"Harry. Thank you for bringing help."  
  
"Sure. Everyone, this is Lara. Lara, this is Ron-"  
  
"Hullo."  
  
"-Draco."  
  
"Verrry nice to meet you. Your attractiveness rivals my own…almost." Draco grinned audaciously.  
  
"Thank you." Lara looked a little confused.  
  
"Ignore him. He's mentally disturbed. I'm Ginny Weasley." Ginny grinned, shaking her hand.  
  
"Nice to meet you." Lara looked relieved to see another girl.  
  
"All right, yes, yes, we're through with the meet and greet, let's get going." Draco interrupted.  
  
"Where to first?" Ginny asked, pulling her rather unruly hair into a messy bun.  
  
"Hogwarts? Talk to Dumbledore?" Harry suggested.  
  
"So, we apparate?" Ron said.  
  
"You can't apparate into or out of the Hogwarts' grounds." Hermione suddenly approached the group.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Harry said a bit more spitefully than he meant to.  
  
"I'm coming. I thought about it, Ginny, and you were right. Last night, I took care of everything and I'm coming."  
  
"What do you mean, took care of everything?" Ginny looked at her curiously.  
  
"Don't worry about it. Are we going or not?" Hermione said, looking at Harry.  
  
"Yeah. Yeah, sure. Thanks for coming, Hermione." Harry said, and he really meant it.  
  
"I knew you'd come around eventually." Draco said, shoving into their little friend-bonding moment.  
  
"I'm Lara, by the way." Lara said to Hermione.  
  
Hermione looked at her somewhat appraisingly.  
  
"Hermione Granger. Pleasure."  
  
"Likewise."   
  
Ginny clapped her hands together.  
  
"Well, the gang's all here. Let's get this show on the road and-"  
  
"Keep saying metaphors?" Draco smiled at Ginny.  
  
"Can I have my inspirational moment, please?" She grinned back at him.  
  
"Carry on." Draco put up his hands in mock surrender.  
  
"Actually, Harry, you're far better at this than me. Go on- inspire us."   
  
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but it was far too early for inspirational speeches.  
  
"I…got nothing."  
  
"Have nothing." Hermione corrected him instinctively.  
  
They all looked at her, annoyed.  
  
"I don't know why I do that." She said somewhat sheepishly.  
  
"Superiority complex?" Ron offered.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath, but did not reply.  
  
"Ah, this should be fun." Draco looked between the two of them.  
  
"Let's GO. We'll apparate nearby…you said the school was called Hogwarts?" Lara cut them off, impatient and confused.  
  
"Yeah." Harry nodded.  
  
"It'll be good to be back at Hogwarts." Ginny commented nostalgically.  
  
They all nodded in agreement.  
  
"Aww…group hug, everyone!" Draco said sarcastically.  
  
"No thanks, Malfoy."  
  
"Oh, Ron, why are you so afraid of your love for me?" Draco looked genuinely hurt, but then he started to laugh uncontrollably.  
  
"At least you amuse yourself." Ginny looked over at him, grinning.  
  
Harry looked around.  
  
"Hey, guys? Maybe we should take this a little more seriously. I mean, Eric died last night. This is real. It's not a joke."  
  
They all looked slightly guilty from the reprimand.  
  
"You're right, Harry. Sorry." Ron said.  
  
And they walked the rest of the way to the clearing in silence, all lost in their own thoughts.  
  
Hermione heart thudded in her throat as she walked beside them. What was she thinking? Turning her back on everything she'd worked so hard for? Had she lost her mind? Or had she somehow, finally, seen things clearly?  
  
She honestly had no idea. And that was a rather foreign feeling to Hermione Granger.  
  
--  
  
You've been gone so long  
  
All that you know has been shuffled aside   
  
As you bask in the glow of the beautiful strangers   
  
Who whisper your name  
  
Do they fill up the emptiness?  
  
Larger than life is your fiction  
  
In a universe made up of one  
  
You have been drifting for so long  
  
I know you don't want to come down  
  
Somewhere below you, there's people who love you  
  
And they're ready for you to come home  
  
--  
  
A/N- Review! 


	6. Scream and Shout

A/N- Hey guys- glad to see some new people reviewing. Keep 'em coming! The characters are J.K, lyrics are Stroke 9's "Make It Last."   
  
Reunion  
  
--  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Scream and Shout  
  
--  
  
They landed a few hundred yards outside of Hogwarts with an uncomfortable thump. Hermione landed sprawled out on top of Draco, and got up, shuddering with disgust.  
  
"That's right, Granger. Just keep running away from your feelings." Draco grinned.  
  
"You're on to me." She responded with equal sarcasm.  
  
"Come on, guys." Harry sighed, helping Ginny and Lara up as Ron got to his feet, brushing off grass stains.  
  
The gates opened for them as they approached (Harry had owled ahead to let Dumbledore know they were coming), and they stepped through onto the familiar grounds.  
  
"This is weird." Ron looked around at the places they had spent so much time- the lake, Hagrid's Hut, the Whomping Willow- now just reminders of memories.  
  
They all looked around in agreement, finally coming to the huge front door, which also opened for them.  
  
School was in session at the time, and they saw the moving staircases transporting many students all around above them. Everyone stopped, and looked down to see who was entering.  
  
There were whispers of 'It's Harry Potter!' 'That's Ron and Hermione!' and 'Is that Draco Malfoy? He plays for Britain!'  
  
Ginny smiled slightly at Lara.  
  
"And we remain in blissful anonymity."   
  
Harry and his two best friends were practically legends at Hogwarts, for obvious reasons. And Draco was infamous- Harry's arch rival and now one of the best Quidditch players in Europe. Everyone knew their stories- and it was almost unreal to see them in real life.  
  
Dumbledore descended the grand staircase leading to the Great Hall, smiling at their arrival.  
  
"Harry Potter. It's a privilege to have you here." He embraced him tightly, something Dumbledore rarely did.  
  
"And Draco. Glad to see you did not follow the path everyone predicted for you."  
  
"You know me. Like to keep things interesting." Draco smiled wanly back.  
  
"Ron, Hermione- how I've missed my Head Boy and Girl. You two still just as inseparable?" He smiled at them affectionately.  
  
They didn't respond.  
  
He smiled in that annoying, knowing way.  
  
"I'm sure things will get better." He patted Ron on the shoulder, winking at Hermione.  
  
Hermione forced a smile back. Even Dumbledore couldn't solve their problems, she thought to herself.  
  
"So, let's go sit in the Great Hall and figure out what we're going to do about this rather vexing new development." He said, in that old reassuring voice that always made problems seem very far away.  
  
They complied, entering and seeing Professor McGonagall sitting at one of the tables.  
  
"I've asked Minerva to sit in with us, give her quite valuable opinion." Dumbledore motioned for them to sit down.  
  
"It's good to see you all again." McGonagall smiled warmly at them.  
  
"Even me, Professor?" Draco said, grinning as he sat down.  
  
"Even you, Mr. Malfoy."  
  
"Who are you, dear? A friend of Harry's?" She looked curiously at Lara.  
  
"I'm Lara." She offered no more information than that.  
  
"All right, so I'm sure the inciting incident was the tragic death of Eric Langly." Dumbledore began.  
  
"Yeah. The investigators said there was no apparent cause-it wasn't an unforgivable curse, it wasn't…anything. They have absolutely no idea how it happened." Harry said, defeated.  
  
"You know about Bellatrix and Lucius, right?" Ron asked Dumbledore.  
  
"That unholy union is unfortunately something I do know of, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore sighed.  
  
"So what do we do?" Ginny couldn't resist asking the obvious question.  
  
"Dance!" Draco piped up.  
  
"Are you talking?" Ginny looked at him in disbelief.  
  
"Sorry. All this talk was making me gloomy." He shrugged.  
  
"Well, I suggest you start with finding somewhere in London to stay."  
  
"I have a flat here." Ron suggested.  
  
"What, a one bedroom? Yeah, Weasel, we can all get real friendly real fast." Draco rolled his eyes.  
  
"There's a guest room and a couch, assface." Ron shot back spitefully.  
  
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Sorry, sir," Ron looked down at his hands, "But it is big enough for everyone to stay. Dad managed to network with a friend through the Ministry to get it for me."  
  
Hermione looked over at him.  
  
"What, Hermione? Shocked I'm not staying in a cardboard box?" He said irritably.  
  
"Not here, Ron." She muttered.  
  
There was a long silence. McGonagall looked at the two of them, confused.  
  
"Whatever. It was just a suggestion." Ron finally broke the quiet.  
  
"No, no, Ron. That sounds like a good idea." Harry intervened quickly.  
  
"So we'll stay there. What then?" Lara looked back at Dumbledore.  
  
"Then, Harry and Draco, you might want to go talk to the Langlys. They know you were teammates, it'll be better coming from you two. Then, I would suggest looking into the murder of this Muggle woman." Dumbledore handed Harry a piece of paper.  
  
"JoJo Bangles." Harry read, trying not to laugh.  
  
"She was a very old woman…thought herself to be a fortune teller, but didn't have a magical bone in her body. She lived alone, but had regular appointments at her home. As far as I figure, Bellatrix made an appointment and…ended JoJo's life. She was found almost completely drained of blood the next day. But if you go to this address, you'll find her place of business. If you'll take this," Dumbledore also handed Harry a magnifying glass with strangely swirling smoke seemingly trapped in the glass, "You can see if anyone apparated out of her work. It will also take you to where they apparated from. But it only works to that next spot. It can't take you any farther than that. But it might give a start."   
  
"Thank you, sir." Harry said, happy to at least have something to go on.  
  
"You've been very useful." Lara said, as if it was the best compliment she could think of.  
  
"That's very kind of you, Lara." Dumbledore smiled at her, but looked as if he was trying to place her.  
  
"What school did you go to, Lara?" He asked.  
  
"The magical school in Russia." She said simply.  
  
"Ah, yes. It has a wonderful reputation."  
  
"Thank you." She smiled back.  
  
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly, almost as though he recognized her but he didn't know where from.  
  
"Well, very nice to meet you, Lara. Nice to see all of you again."  
  
--  
  
"Here we are. Home sweet home." Ron opened the door to Flat 312.  
  
They all walked in behind him, and saw a quite spacious apartment. It even had a spiral staircase leading to the master bathroom.  
  
"I love this place. Dad nearly wet himself when he was waiting to give it to you." Ginny sighed, happily flopping down on the couch.  
  
"This is so nice." Harry looked around approvingly.  
  
"La-aame." Draco said under his breath, just feeling like causing problems.  
  
"Shut up, Malfoy." Hermione sighed.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure you don't approve because Dad got it for me, right? Shows how inadequate I am?" Ron turned to her, a little hurt that she hadn't said anything.  
  
"You know, Weasel? She never even has to insult you, you just do it for her." Draco pointed out.  
  
"No, Ron. It is nice." She sighed.  
  
"Where are we all going to sleep?" Lara asked, perching on the kitchen counter.  
  
"Well, you can sleep in the guest room, Hermione and Gin can have the master bedroom, Harry can sleep on the couch, and I'll sleep on the pullout."  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
"Um, hello?" Draco raised his hand.  
  
"Hi." Ron said, as if surprised to still see him there.  
  
"Where am I supposed to sleep?" Draco asked him.  
  
"Couldn't care less if I TRIED." Ron sighed, walking into the kitchen.  
  
Draco looked over at Ginny, who sat down on the couch next to him.  
  
"Sleep in my bed then." She said quietly, with a wicked grin.  
  
"I object strongly to that." Hermione grimaced.  
  
"Come on, babe-the three of us could have some fun." Draco raised his eyebrows.  
  
"If by fun, you mean making me vomit, then yes, we could." Hermione said acerbically.  
  
"Draco, we should go to the Langlys." Harry suggested.  
  
"Yeah, all right." Draco pulled on his leather jacket again, and out the door they went.  
  
--  
  
Night had fallen outside as everyone waited for Draco and Harry to get back.  
  
"Ron, I want a sandwich." Ginny whined.  
  
Ginny and Lara were sitting on the couch, watching TV. Hermione was unpacking in her room.  
  
"Get it yourself, loser." Ron said, stretched out in the armchair.  
  
"Come on, Ronnie." Ginny complained.  
  
"Don't EVER call me that again."  
  
"I won't call you that if you make me a sandwich, Ronnie." Ginny grinned.  
  
"You're very annoying, do you know that?" Ron sighed, getting up.  
  
"Yes." Her smile widened.  
  
"Make me one too. Cut off the crusts." Lara said, as he walked to the kitchen.  
  
"Yes, madam." Ron said sarcastically.  
  
"Call me what you like, I'm starving." She grinned at Ginny.  
  
"Lara- we could be pals." Ginny hit her on the arm.  
  
At that moment, Hermione came down the spiral staircase.  
  
"Want a sandwich?" Ron asked her, trying to forge some semblance of peace between them.  
  
"No thank you." She said, not looking at him.  
  
"You sure? We haven't eaten, like, all day."  
  
"I'm fine."   
  
"I know what you like-that weird peanut butter and strawberry thing you always got from the kitchens…" Ron coaxed.  
  
"I didn't get anything from the kitchens. Remember S.P.E.W.?" Hermione said, sitting on the kitchen table.  
  
"Okay, the sandwiches I always got you from the kitchens."  
  
"Yeah, I remember."  
  
"The house elves always liked me." Ron grinned.  
  
"I know. Every time I did venture down there and try to convince them to fight for their freedom, they never even remembered my name…they just called me Ron's Girl." Hermione said, looking down at her feet.  
  
"Yeah." Ron looked at her, feeling a slight shiver pass through him. For a second, it felt like he had seen the Hermione he remembered.  
  
"Well, that's all over now." Hermione said, in a dismissive tone that made Ron's insides twist with a strange mix of disappointment and anger.  
  
"Thanks to you." Ron couldn't help saying.  
  
"Okay, Ron, how many times are we going to have this fight?" Hermione said, instantly on the defensive.  
  
"As many times as it takes for you to say you're sorry!" Ron responded.  
  
"Don't get your hopes up." Hermione glared back.  
  
"Hermione-" Ron said, his voice rising.  
  
Ginny entered the kitchen, cutting them off.  
  
"Could you please make our sandwiches before you two get too into this?" She pleaded.  
  
"Make your own damn sandwich!" Ron practically roared.  
  
Ginny blinked.  
  
"Okay, you know what, big bro? Lara and I are going for a walk. It is just too insane in here right now. You two duke it out, we'll be back later." She put up her hands in surrender, grabbing her coat.  
  
"Come on, Lara."  
  
"I still want sandwich." Lara pouted, her accent thicker when she was upset.  
  
Ginny closed the door behind her, and Ron and Hermione could hear Ginny saying they could go get one from the deli.  
  
They looked at each other, the air heavy with an indefinable tension.  
  
"Well, here we are. Just the two of us." Hermione crossed her arms.  
  
"Yes. Quite romantic."  
  
"Yeah, please take me now." Hermione said with equal sarcasm.  
  
Ron snorted in disbelief.  
  
"Who'd want to?"  
  
"If I recall correctly, you didn't have any complaints." She said with a defiant stare.  
  
"That night was a mistake." Ron looked away.  
  
"You really think that?" Her eyes reflected the slightest bit of hurt.  
  
"You lied to me that night! You already knew you were going to France, and you didn't say a word about it! It makes me sick that I wasted my first time on someone who was planning on leaving me …even while she…" Ron's voice cracked slightly, and he didn't continue.  
  
"I was saying goodbye!" Hermione said, her voice choked as well.  
  
"Well, you could have let me know that!"  
  
"Why? So you'd turn me away? So you wouldn't talk to me our last week at Hogwarts?" Hermione stopped, looking at him incredulously.  
  
"You honestly think being with you meant nothing to me?"  
  
"How do I know? You obviously got over me pretty easily-when you saw me at Harry's game, it looked like I made you sick or something."  
  
"I was shocked, Ron! The only man you've ever really loved and who broke your heart just shows up in your life again, it's a bit jarring!"  
  
"I broke YOUR heart? Oh, please, Hermione!"  
  
"It's the truth! I wanted to come back, of course I did! As soon as I got to France, the only thing I wanted to do was to turn around and go back to you. But I wrote to Harry, and he told me how angry you were, how you wouldn't even talk about it, and I figured it was a waste of time."  
  
"Of course I was angry! I was angry because I'd just lost the best thing I'd ever had. The best friend I'd ever had. Every dream I'd ever had…it didn't mean anything without you."  
  
"I missed you so much, Ron. I thought about everything that we left unanswered, and it ripped me apart. I can't even count all the dreams I had about you. But it got to the point where I just couldn't stand it-I couldn't stand hurting that badly. So I just stopped. I just decided you didn't matter, decided I'd never loved you, and eventually, my mind started to believe those lies."  
  
"So what are you saying? You've convinced yourself you don't love me anymore? What am I supposed to do with that?" Ron shouted.  
  
"Kiss me."  
  
Ron looked at her in shock.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Kiss me like you used to. Like you still love me. I don't care if you mean it or not. I just…need to remember that there's a part of me that feels anything. I've shut it off for so long I don't even know if it still exists. All I know is you're the only man I've ever been with that made me feel anything- and I just have to know I can feel that again. I'm tired of being this ice queen bitch who hates you. I can't play that role anymore."  
  
Ron didn't say anything. He didn't even move.  
  
"Ron-"  
  
But Ron abruptly turned around and started to walk towards the guest bedroom.  
  
Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't stand this anymore. Screw arrogance. She was tired of being too proud to admit that she had never gotten over him.  
  
"Ron, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything."  
  
Ron froze, his back to her.  
  
Hermione suddenly felt humiliated. She hadn't felt this vulnerable in a very long time.  
  
"That's fine, Ron! I finally tell you the truth about everything, and you just walk away! What, are you scared? Or do you really hate me that m-"  
  
Ron cut her off with his lips against hers, a rather chaste, reserved kiss as though he was nervous.  
  
He stepped away almost instantly. But the brief contact seemed to have flipped some switch within Hermione's system. She closed the space between them, kissing him with an almost bruising intensity. Ron opened his mouth under hers, and she moaned slightly, their kiss deepening to the point that she felt her skin prickling with desire.  
  
Hermione paused for breath, unbuttoning his shirt.  
  
"I missed you so much." Ron said breathlessly, kissing her neck.  
  
"I've wanted this for so long." She whispered into his ear, capturing his mouth again with hers hungrily.   
  
They somehow found their way to the guest room, and many hours later, fell asleep in each other's arms.  
  
--  
  
Make it last for an hour  
  
We'll never feel this way again  
  
Make it all that you want   
  
And everything that I need  
  
Make it last   
  
Make it last 'cause you're not making me any promises   
  
Make it last  
  
--  
  
A/N- Hmm-what will happen NOW? What will Harry think? Will Lara ever get that sandwich? And wait a minute- where IS Draco going to sleep? Review! 


End file.
